There have been numerous posts about S-Video cables producing black and white features, but hear me out before saying: change the cable, change the adapter, change the video player, etc. I've read a lot so far about such problems, but there wasn't really a similar problem described like mine so here it is:

Setup:
scart to composite/S-video adapter with audioconnectors@JVC videoplayer
S-video cable 15m
MSI geforce NX6600GT with s-video out

You probably noticed the long cable, but I think only image quality can be affected by that, and not the colour information. If I'm wrong, please tell me, otherwise let's not take the length of the cable into account.

Description: Only getting a black and white image on the tv when cloning or using a dual view with detonator drivers. Tried both MSI drivers included with the geforce and the latest detonator drivers v77.72.
Both gave me a black and white image.

Funny thing: I get full colour when:
1) I used my geforce4 ti4200 with same setup (but I'd like to use my newer graph card ofc)
2) I uninstall my detonator drivers and cloning is automatically on (but obviously this is not an option either, no direct3D, no opengl no nothing)
3) during bootup before it loads the detonator drivers (I even get a Windows logo in colour).

Installing the detonator drivers makes the footage black and white. Also at the same time when I use the S-Video, I use the composite out which DOES give me a full colour even tho the S-video gives me black and white.
The cables provided also have a HDTV connection available, so I'm not sure how this influences the s-video cable, but because it IS capable of producing colour, I didn't think it would matter.

I tried installing previous detonator drivers (I believe somewhere around 60.xx and 53.xx or so), but those didn't recognise my graph card, couldn't even install them.

I believe it to be a driver issue because when I use no detonator drivers, it gives me colour, but when using the detonator drivers, it's black and white.

Any ideas/thoughts would be appreciated.

NN

[EDIT]Also, I'm not sure how to change my video signal from PAL to NTSC. I used tv-tool which changed it automatically to NTSC (to no avail), but nvidia display properties only gives me 2 options (PAL-B and PAL-H) and I live in Belgium, so I'm not sure whether or not this could be the problem. I also tried all resolutions and refresh rates (lowest = 60Hz)[/EDIT]

You'll be the one to actually sort it out, you've the hardware to use and to see for yourself.

Simplified - There're 3 seperate distinctions causing combinations of problems... S-VIDEO, Composite, NTSC/PAL.

S-VIDEO - The Chroma signal gave you color, unlike the Luminance signal which gave you black and white, Chroma is an extremely phase-sensitive signal.

Additional cable length or additional adapter meant additional extra delay, additional extra phase shift, and too much of it be resultant of wrong color or no color at all, no color by default is Luminance only which got through and is black and white.

Composite - The Chroma signal is encoded as a color burst (still Phase-sensitive) within the Luminance signal (in the front-porch segment).

Composite is LESS sensitive ("less sensitive" does not mean "impervious") to color loss than S-VIDEO from the fact that Chroma being embeded within Luminance partially compensated for the extra delay or extra phase shift (they shifted together better).

Composite is more *****-proof than S-VIDEO, S-VIDEO is more *****-proof than RGB.

NTSC/PAL - The basic difference is frequency, a frequency change IS a phase shift. eg, resulting in wrong color or no color at all on top of sync problems.

Thx for your response.

If I ever sort it out, I'll post the solution here if I don't forget.
But eventually you all say the same: change the hardware, heh... Guess it's inevitable then.

NN

Hi, this is how i resolved my problems, COLORS on TV via s-video and scart connector, FREE and can be done by yourself:

http://camp0s.altervista.org/sVideo/sVideo.htm

Hope this help.

Hey, this is a solution I have never heard before and it looks promising. I'm currently studying abroad, but as soon as I'm home, I'm going to try this!
Thanks a lot!

I wonder how it comes nobody knew of this fix before... If it's that simple...

PC S-Video to TV only shows black and white

MyScenario:
- same exact issue on 3 different Nvidia videocards: Hercules 64MB, MSI 128 MB & BFG 256 MB in two diferent PCs - all were doing the same thing : outputting Black and frikkin' White display to TV
- Had Nvidia display options set to clone to TV with TV as primary output for the PC DVD drive (settings that I tried for TV output type made no difference at all)

Hardware used contributing to problem:
1 S-VIDEO to RCA jack adapter dongle(came with MSI vid card) +
One 12ft (3.6M) RCA cable (dual male connector) +
1 Akai midrange TV with Composite input

This one is tricky because when I rolled back my Nvidia card drivers 2 versions on the old PC with the 128 MSI card the color on TV came up fine ??(but not great)

I just built a new PC with 7800GT 256MB card in it and got same issue
so man, was I was not impressed!

It gets color output up to XP Pro screen then....... just useless B&W output again after the nvidia drivers kick in

When I uninstalled the video drivers then color came back up all the way on TV after reboot but no S-Video options were installed to allow DVD to TV output = <

Grrrrrrrrrrrr..... :blackeye:

Three different major PC stores staff and many hours surfing the internet were informative but useless
(no, I do NOT want to start soldering wires on my connectors thanks)


THE FIX! :
I played a good hunch and went to The Source/Circuit City which seems to be the only place I could find a direct S-VIDEO to Composite connector cable 12ft (3.6M)
BRAND NAME :Evolution II Platinum S-Video to Composite shielded cable (approx $30 US )

I went home and unplugged the S-Video to RCA jack adapter dongle and the crappy RCA cable ($5 -thus my nickname)

I then plugged the S-Video connector direct to the 7800GT card connector and RCA jack straight into the TV composite plug

Result: OMFG!!! BEA-UTI-FUL crisp quality DVD picture on TV instantly with no settings adjustments and no worries

Conclusion:
It was 99% cheap crappy noisy cable + adapter dongle(?) and 1% Nvidia settings

Possible cause :
pushing S-Video bandwidth through a cheap 12ft RCA cable to a Composite connector is like shoving a watermelon through a garden hose - it just wasn't meant to happen

If anyone reads this and has run out of ideas like me, try it and if it doesn't work (most cases it will) then just go back to store for a refund or exchange on the cost of the high end cable - no risk

- Good Luck and Good Movies everyone